Tech

Asus Fonepad Is a 7-Inch Tablet That Can Make Calls

Phonepad

BARCELONA — Didn't we tell you that the lines between smartphones and tablets are blurred? Case in point: the Asus Fonepad, a 7-inch tablet that's also a phone.

Beware: the Fonepad is a completely different device than the PadFone Infinity. There's no smartphone-becomes-tablet witchery here; the Fonepad is a 7-inch tablet, powered by Android 4.1 and sporting a 3G chip. You can use it to make calls, although we don't think a 7-inch device is ideal for the task.

The Fonepad looks pretty much exactly like Google's Nexus 7, which is hardly surprising since Asus makes that device as well.

However, the Fonepad is very different from most other Android tablets in a one important way: it's powered by the new Intel Atom Z2420 processor (for comparison, the Nexus 7 is powered by ARM's Cortex-A9 CPU).

Intel vice president Hermann Eul claims the processor "delivers the power, performance and flexibility required to accommodate a range of devices and market needs." However, the actual CPU model in the Fonepad is a single-core Atom clocked to 1.2GHz, which doesn't inspire confidence. With our short time with the Fonepad, we've tested Eul's claim, and we can say that the Fonepad feels snappy, on par with other tablets of its size of the iOS and Android variety.

Other specs include a 1280x800 7-inch IPS screen, 8/16GB of storage (expandable via SD memory cards), and a 3-megapixel camera that can record 720p video. All of that is crammed into a case that weighs 340g and is 10.4mm thick.

The device will be available from March 2013, with prices starting at €219 ($286) for the 8GB version.

How do you like the Fonepad? Would you buy an Intel-powered Android tablet? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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